


unforeseen circumstances

by alfredolover119



Series: fictober 2020 [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Fictober 2020, Fireworks, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Pining, New Year's Resolutions, New Years, Post-Canon, They Are Idiots, idiots to lovers, im sorry i wrote half of this a month ago and half of this today, zuko the ever dramatic theatre kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:48:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26785417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alfredolover119/pseuds/alfredolover119
Summary: Zuko didn't usually make new year's resolutions. He didn't usually have a gigantic crush on his friend turned ambassador turned best friend either, though. Well, the "usually" on that one was a little questionable.--zuko makes resolution to not be in love with sokka. spoiler alert: he fails. this isn't angsty at all i promise.rated t for language and one(1) dirty joke.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: fictober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920028
Comments: 18
Kudos: 275





	unforeseen circumstances

**Author's Note:**

> hi! fictober day 2. the prompt was "that's the easy part." silly stupid gay me came up with an elaborate plot not related to that at all,,, but the line IS in here.
> 
> notice: this was NOT beta-read,, in fact i have not even read it so aha. i promise it isnt that bad though.

Zuko didn't _usually_ make new year's resolutions. He didn't _usually_ have a gigantic crush on his friend turned ambassador turned _best_ friend either, though. Well, the "usually" on that one was a little questionable. He just actually knew about it this year, thanks to a slightly awkward, unexpected talk with Iroh and Toph. The "crush" part also wasn't entirely accurate, but he really didn't feel like using any, ah, _bigger_ words.

So now, it was the last day of the year. There was a grand feast and festival scheduled for that night. It _was_ the Fire Nation, after all. They would take any and every opportunity to eat and drink and have fun. Regardless, it left Zuko laying in his bed at sunrise semi-dreading the day. He wasn't fully unexcited, but the thought of having to entertain hundreds of guests at dinner that night… It wasn't exactly his idea of fun.

Adverse to his feelings about the stuffy old politicians, he was giddy with excitement about seeing his friends. All of his friends would be there, of course. Aang and Katara. Toph and Mai. Ty Lee and Suki. Sokka. It had been months since all of them had been together. It had been weeks since he had seen _any_ of them, actually. Even Sokka, who lived part-time at the Capitol with Zuko, had been gone on water-tribe business.

Not tonight, though. Sokka would be back. In fact, he was supposed to be arriving early to get ready. Zuko's stomach fluttered. Usually, there would be a feast in honor of any ambassador's return, but Sokka agreed that it would be best to avoid the formalities on a day as big as New Years. He could arrive at the palace at any time that day, but Zuko wouldn't see him until that night… It was going to be the longest day ever.

He shook himself before rolling out of bed. He really had to stop fantasizing and thinking about Sokka so much. It was hopeful at best, friendship-ruining at worst, for him to be thinking about his best friend like _that._

At that moment, it hit him! _That_ would be a good place to start for his new year's resolutions. _Stop thinking about Sokka so much. Get over your_ crush _on Sokka._

Making the new year's resolution wasn't that big of a deal. **That** wa **s the easy part.** The hard part started tomorrow: actually _following_ his resolution. He still had through tonight to daydream about Sokka, at least.

  
  


The day was a blur. Zuko had meetings as usual the rest of the morning, and after lunch he was to check out the preparations for that night. While he was eating lunch, though, he had a surprise visitor. 

Sokka burst into his study, slamming the doors behind him. He collapsed into a chair, out of breath. "Sorry about the rush, but I'm hiding from my dressers. I'm supposed to meet them for my measurements in five minutes." 

Zuko snorted. "Why are you avoiding that, exactly?"

Sokka hummed, snagging a bite of food from Zuko's plate. "It's not _avoidance,_ really, just… delay."

Zuko snatched the plate away. "Why are you _delaying_ your measurements, then?"

"I wanted to see you, buddy!" Sokka continued eyeing the plate. "It's been two months!"

"Oh." Zuko let his plate be stolen. Sokka instantly began stuffing his face.

"Are you not happy to see me?" Sokka aimed his best puppy-dog eyes at Zuko. It would have been very effective, but Zuko was still processing.

Processing Sokka. In his office. Now. _Not_ tonight. Now. He looked good, obviously. Sokka always looked amazing. His face was flushed with apparent excitement, and there were loose strands falling out of his wolf’s tail. Zuko wanted to reach out and tuck them behind his ear. _This_ was what his resolution was for.

Zuko shook his head to clear it. “You just surprised me. And _maybe_ I would be a little more welcoming if you didn’t come in and immediately start eating my lunch.” He laughed. “You seem more excited about the food than seeing me.”   
  
Sokka grinned unabashedly. “Well, I did just get here. I’m not going to have time to eat before tonight. And I knew you would be in here for lunch- Really, it’s _your_ fault for not having food _ready_ for me.”

“I’ll have to remember that next time you _surprise_ me.” 

“Thanks, Hotman. You really know how to treat a guy.” Sokka winked. 

Zuko felt the blood rising into his face. “Only you.”  
  
Tomorrow marked the start of a very, _very_ long year. Zuko was not exactly a portrait of excitement.

  
  


Unlike Sokka, Zuko had no royal dressers to hide from, or whatever. His measurements were perfectly known. When he arrived back in his room that evening, he found his robes for the night set out for him. They were more ornate than his usual outfits, but that was expected. He felt like his robes got more bedazzled at every event, though.

Once he was dressed, he stood in front of the mirror. He had bad days sometimes, in terms of how he felt about himself, but not today. He felt… good. About his outfit, about his looks, about everything, really. He still got anxiety at the thought of large crowds, but it wasn’t too bad tonight- merely a sort of _thrumming_ in his stomach.

He pulled half of his hair up with his crown. In the several years since the war, it had grown out quite a lot. He thought long hair would make him look like Ozai, but it didn’t, really. If anything, it showed how he _wasn’t_ like his father. They had more differences than similarities. And, of course, the scar was quite characterizing for Zuko.

He was escorted to the banquet which would kick off the festivities by an entourage of royal guards. Despite his protests earlier in his career as Fire Lord that he could defend himself, his friends said they would feel better if he kept guards around. Suki and Sokka, specifically, were leading on that front. Suki threatened to assign a Kyoshi warrior to watch him all the time. Sokka went through a phase after he learned about the assassination attempts where he never left Zuko’s side. That was a while before Zuko realized his, well, _feelings,_ but it _did_ reaffirm the fact that people actually cared about his well-being. Which was nice.

  
  


The clash of reds and golds and smatterings of the entire rainbow greeted him enthusiastically once he reached the banquet. Aang was sitting at the high table chatting with some of the younger council members. Well, more talking _at._ He was waving his arms and laughing, and they were just nodding politely. Zuko didn’t try to hide his smile. 

He couldn’t pinpoint any of his other friends, but he knew they were there somewhere. In fact, everyone who was _anyone_ was there somewhere. It was intimidating, but also reassuring. The world had come so far in just a few years. 

It took only a moment for the room to silence once they noticed him. That was something he would never get used to. 

The speech went by with no complications, in Zuko’s opinion. And Aang’s too, apparently. He had barely sat down to eat when Aang leaned over the table to yell at him from six seats away. “That was great, Zuko!”

Several of the other “important people” at the table glared at his informality. Aang either did not notice or did not care. Zuko grinned and aimed a thumbs-up back at him.

After dinner, everyone from the banquets swarmed outside to watch Zuko set off the first ceremonial fireworks. He convinced his guards to enjoy the festivities and went to find his friends.

It didn’t take very long. Aang basically tackled him, and Toph gave him the typical sucker-punch. Katara gave him a tight hug. Mai, Suki, and Ty Lee were chatting a few feet away. 

Zuko didn’t see Sokka at first, but he was soon engulfed in possibly the nicest hug he had ever received. Definitely in the top five. Sokka had gotten a lot taller in the years since the war. He was a couple of inches taller than Zuko now. Not to mention the added muscle. Overall, he just gave very good hugs now. Definitely didn’t have _anything_ to do with the previously mentioned feelings Zuko was harboring for him.

The group found a nice place to lounge on the lawn together. They were talking, but Zuko couldn’t keep his eyes off the sky. He had, in part, helped create the displays, but it was amazing to see them in the night.

He only looked away once, because he felt a hole being burned into the side of his face by someone’s glare. Someone being Sokka. Sokka was staring at him, and Zuko couldn’t read the expression on his face. It was, perhaps, a little unnerving. Zuko wondered vaguely if Sokka had drank too much at dinner.

He was going to ask Sokka about it after the fireworks, but when he turned to talk to him, Sokka grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the rest of the group. Away from everyone, actually. They were behind the shrubbery, hidden from the world.

Zuko tried to start a conversation. “So-”

  
“I have to tell you my new year’s resolution.” Sokka was still grasping Zuko’s arm, and the intensity in his eyes was astounding. 

Zuko was taken aback at the absolute unexpectedness of Sokka’s words. Did Zuko tell him that he had a resolution? Their conversation from lunch had completely slipped from his mind.

“Are you drunk?” The question slipped past Zuko’s filter. 

Now _Sokka_ was the one who was confused. “What? No. I wouldn’t tell you this when I was drunk. Well, I _hope_ I wouldn’t.”

Zuko rubbed his hands together nervously. “What is it, then?”  
  
Sokka did not hesitate. “Well, my resolution is about you. Sort of. No sort of, actually. It’s directly about you.”   
  
Zuko’s face stung from the imminent prospect of rejection. Someone must have blabbed about his… feelings. “Who told you?”   
  
“What? Told me what? I’m trying to tell you that I’m in love with you, Zuko.”   
  
He opened his mouth and immediately closed it again. And then opened it again. _“What?”_

Sokka’s eyes widened and his mouth kept moving. “It started a long time ago, but my new year’s resolution was to tell you I had feelings, and then you were there with the fireworks and they were reflecting off of _you,_ and that doesn’t make sense, and you don’t have to reciprocate. Actually, I don’t even _expect-”_

Zuko, surprising Sokka and himself, pressed his lips against Sokka’s to shut him up. It wasn’t a good first kiss, but it was perfect. Their noses clashed and Sokka failed to kiss him back. 

He pulled back sheepishly. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to surprise you, but you were talking too much.”  
  
Sokka looked at him incredulously. _“Sorry?_ For what? Do you know how long I’ve been thinking about that? You. Me. Kissing.”   
  
Zuko giggled (fucking _giggled)._ “I don’t, actually. You can tell me though.”   
  
“Well…” Sokka flushed. “A long time. That’s all that’s important.”

“I’ve wanted it too, if that makes it any better.” Zuko reached out to cup Sokka’s face in his hands. 

Sokka immediately leaned into the touch. “Bet I’ve wanted it longer.” He winked.

“Shut _up._ Don’t you think there are better things you could be doing with your mouth than talking?”   
Sokka started laughing uncontrollably, and Zuko nearly died. Really. Inches away from death. _Centimeters._

To stop Sokka from humiliating him, Zuko pulled him into another kiss. This one was better. Zuko felt like he could kiss Sokka forever. He would have, too. But right as Sokka had started nipping at his lower lip, they were rudely interrupted by Toph.

“You guys _know_ I can see what everyone is doing all the time. It’s honestly rude, to me, to be doing this.”   
  
Zuko felt like his entire body was on fire, with embarrassment and just feelings in general. If he was anywhere near as flushed as Sokka…

“Hey, Toph! Long time no see.” Sokka placed his elbow casually on Zuko’s shoulder. 

Toph snorted. “It was about fucking time... Speaking of time, you guys are about to miss the special finale that happens at midnight. Come watch it with us instead of making out in the bushes.”  
  
She left after that, but Sokka and Zuko were still stunned. All Sokka could say was, “We didn’t even kiss _at_ midnight?”   
  
Zuko bumped his shoulder against Sokka’s. “Who says we aren’t going to?”   
  
“Just in case we miss it, I think you should kiss me again right now. For insurance.”

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Zuko failed to keep his resolution within the first minute of the new year. However, he did _not_ miss his midnight kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> thank u thank u thank u very much for reading! comments and kudos fuel me so wink wink. i hope ya'll enjoyed! 
> 
> you can find me on [tumblr @ whatsshakingbanana!](https://whatsshakingbanana.tumblr.com)
> 
> [link to my zukka spotify playlist!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0DhwxvcXzqBLZySHMK86cV?si=2GyZEp-DT9GcQRJisYtYeg)


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